Republicans in the South Carolina House of Representatives are planning for a big — and heavy — legislative session.
Tax cuts, school choice expansion, modernization of the state's energy generation capacity, and, possibly, a re-do of a major health agency consolidation.
And with former President Donald Trump headed back to the White House in January, Republican leaders say they have the perfect opportunity to ensure a transformative year without the headaches of fighting with the federal government.
"We're not going to be fighting back and pushing back on policies, but we're going to work together to improve this country and improve this state," House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, told reporters last week.
Smith again plans to lead the lower chamber over the next two years.
"We are a state with a growing economy, with a growing population, and we have had a bold agenda over (these) last two, last legislative session that was successful," Smith added. "And I anticipate that we will continue in that."
The House Republican Caucus met last week to hash out their agenda for the 2025-26 year, what they're calling the "6 Pillars for Progress."
To start the year, Smith told reporters he wants to tackle Hurricane Helene relief for those areas of the state hardest hit. He said the caucus plans to revisit the school choice debate next year after the S.C. Supreme Court ruled spending taxpayer dollars on private school tuition was unconstitutional.
And Smith said he believes an energy bill will move quickly through the Statehouse.
That's not all.
Over the two-year session, House Majority Leader Davey Hiott, R-Pickens, said Republicans want to prioritize “historic" tax cuts, in part, by further reducing the income tax rate.
The caucus’ legislative priority list includes raising state teacher pay and reforming the county magistrate selection process. It also includes social issues, such as "defending pro-life, Second Amendment policies," according to Hiott, who said in his 20-year Statehouse career he has voted on some 14 abortion-related bills.
Asked whether that means trying to further restrict abortion access beyond the state's currently six-week ban with limited exceptions, Hiott said it is too early to say.
"I believe with the new makeup of the Senate, we believe that the Senate can get something like that through," Hiott said. "And I'm asking the Senate to get us something over here. We'll take a look at it."
Republicans now hold a supermajority in both chambers, and the party controls all statewide elected offices and the governor's mansion.
House Democrats, who will get together next month to decide leadership positions and their legislative wish-list, hold only 36 seats of the 124-member chamber, and are unlikely to be able to block Republican aims. (Thirty-four Republicans now make up the 46-member Senate.)
So what could stand in the House GOP's own way?
Potentially members of their own party.
The very same day the House GOP Caucus unveiled its agenda, members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus met to do the same. The group consists of around 20 or so House Republicans who are not official members of the House Majority Caucus due to internal disagreements between the two camps.
State Rep. Jordan Pace, R-Berkeley, said last week that they will push their Republican colleagues to embrace their agenda.
In eight bullet points, the freedom caucus wish-list includes closing primaries, reducing taxes, fixing roads and ending joint and several liability that bars and restaurants complain is hurting their businesses.
Though outnumbered, the freedom caucus has seen some success in past years, in part by stalling legislation via procedural moves and unseating incumbents in this year's June primaries.
"I don't think our tactics are going to change a whole lot. We're going to put forward what we think is the most conservative policies that should pass and what the people want, and, hold our ground on that," Pace told reporters. "Hopefully leadership comes along."
For now, House GOP leaders say their group is unified behind its own agenda.
